It's Never too Late
by DocBevCulver
Summary: Set after the events in the movie Nemesis. Can JeanLuc and Beverly patch their friendship up or make it into something more. Originally PWP in the unedited version.


Title: It's Never to Late

Author: DocBevCulver

Series: TNG

Character/s: Picard/Crusher

Genre: General/Romance

Rating: R / M (just to be on the safe side)

Disclaimer: Star Trek and the characters belong Paramount. The plot is mine, what little there is of it.

Summary: PWP - Set a few months after the events in "Nemesis", Beverly is at Starfleet Medical and Jean-Luc is on the Enterprise - which is being repaired at the space dock at Earth. Can the two mend their relationship after letting is slowly fade over the last few years? Can they make it into something more?

Author's Notes: Thanks to Sandi for the beta reading. More notes are located at the end of the story.

Beverly Crusher awoke sore and satisfied with an odd feeling of completeness. Most of the previous nights activities blurred in her mind, but one thing stood out. '_Jean-Luc…'_ With that thought it all became clear as to why she felt complete at last.

_Flashback…_

She had been in her lab, hard at work for several hours on her latest research project. Tired, she retreated to her office for a brief rest. She sat at her desk, rested her head on her folded arms and closed her eyes. She awoke a few moments later to the sound of someone clearing their throat. She looked up at the source of the sound and was surprised to see him standing in her door.

Jean-Luc Picard stood leaning against the door-jam of her office with his arms folded tightly across his chest. The pips on his pristinely pressed black and maroon uniform shone almost as bright as the smile on his lips. **'**_He looks every bit the Starfleet captain he is… completely dashing,_' she thought, with a small smile.

It had been several months since she departed from the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officers position to take up the role as Head of Starfleet Medical, once again. She had been offered the position soon after Will Riker and Deanna Troi's wedding, but she had declined at the time and prepared for the next mission aboard the ship. After the battle with the Remans, Shinzon, and his deadly weapon, Starfleet would not take no for an answer. So, with sadness already from the death of Data and Will and Deanna's departure for their own ship, she was whisked away from the ship that had been her home for nearly 20 years.

Even with the ship in space dock orbiting around Earth, they really had not had the time to talk, much less actually see each other - her schedule and duties and his, plus overseeing to the repairs that took place on the ship - kept them both extremely busy. It had been a short few weeks ago that he had sent a brief message to tell her that the ship would be on a test run for several weeks and that he would not be able to contact her until they were complete. To see him standing in her doorway was a bit of a shock, but she was not going to complain.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, as she tucked a strand of her reddish blonde hair behind her ear.

"Not long… but long enough to know that you could use a break." He smiled as he pushed off the door-jam, rubbing a hand over his smooth head, as he came to stand in front of her desk. "I would guarantee that you have not had anything to eat either." He said as he placed his hands on her desk to brace himself, as he leaned over to look her in the eyes.

She smiled and placed her head in her in the cradle of her hands. "No, I haven't."

"Good," he smiled. "Then, would you care to join me?" He asked as he pushed off from her desk to stand straight and with both hands on the hem of his uniform top and gave a quick jerk to straighten it, performing a perfect 'Picard Maneuver'.

She smiled at the gesture she knew had become a habit. "I would love to." She said, as she stood from her chair. She came to stand next to him and he offered his elbow. They walked out of the office with her hand tucked in the crook of his arm and his hand over hers.

They arrived at one of the local restaurants a few minutes later. Once seated at the small, booth style table near the window, they ate and enjoyed the others company. He talked about the repairs to the ship, while she talked about the recent research at Medical. Soon, they moved closer, sitting elbow to elbow, and began to talk about old memories aboard the ship, their friendships with the crew that was their extended family. They kept the conversation light, neither wanting to bring up the subject of losing Data and both wishing to keep old ghost away, if only for tonight.

Their meal finished, the plates removed, Jean-Luc turned to Beverly and asked, "Have you spoken to Wesley recently?"

She shook her head, "No, it has been awhile since I heard from him," then smiled, "but I know that he's fine and I will hear from him soon." She picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip, then asked, "Have you heard anything from the Titan?"

He nodded. "I received word from the Titan yesterday," he took a sip of tea then continued, "Will and Deanna are doing well and spoke about how much they missed their 'family'."

She gave a rueful smile. "Everything has changed and I know that change is inevitable, but I miss our 'family' too."

He nodded and gave a small sad smile, "As do I."

They sat in silence for several minutes. Then Jean-Luc broke the silence. "I've missed this the most." He placed his now empty cup on the table.

She placed her cup upon the table as well and asked softly. "What have you missed?"

"Our friendship," he sighed, "but most of all, I've missed you."

She placed her hand on top of his hand that rested on the table and gave it a soft squeeze, then smiled. "I've missed you too, Jean-Luc."

He gave a quiet chuckle and squeezed her hand in return. "I was afraid we had lost this…this closeness." He sighed before he turned to look at her, sadness evident in his hazel eyes. "I know I pushed you away for sometime after the incident with Q and I was afraid that it would be... that we would lose what we had before."

She shook her head, her blue eyes shining, "Never. I knew you needed time to sort it all out and I was waiting for you to do just that." She then turned to look out the window next to their table and spoke softly, "I'll always wait for you. I've been waiting for you to… to try again."

"Excuse me?" he asked as he gently squeezed the hand that still held his on the table. He was afraid that he did not hear her correctly. "Beverly, what did you say?"

She shook her head, but didn't turn to look at him and continued to gaze out the window, her fear once again finding its way to the surface. She watched as the people continued on their journeys down the busy street in front of the restaurant, "Nothing. It was nothing."

He took his other hand and gentle placed it under her chin so that he could turn her to face him. He needed to see her and for her to repeat the words, "Beverly…?"

She closed her eyes and willed the tears away before he could turn her head. The tears of pain that she knew would fall when she gazed upon him, because, it had hurt, and still did. It started when he began to distance himself from her. Their breakfasts and dinners had slowly faded and she only saw him while on duty. She knew that it all started long before the incident with Q and the future that he had shown of him, their divorce. It was only the final straw that shattered their already fragile relationship.

No, the decline all started after Kess-Prytt. When she spoke the words she wanted to take back as soon as she said them - "_Maybe we should be afraid?" _She nearly turned back when she stepped out of his quarters that night, after sharing so much between each other thanks to the mental link. But she let her fear and maybe the ghost of her late husband and his best friend, Jack Crusher, come between them once again.

She sighed and turned to face him, "I said that I will always wait for you." A single tear fell from her eye. "I know that part of the distance was my fault as well, but I wanted to try and salvage… to salvage our friendship. But I thought it was lost." She looked into his eyes then. "When we fought with the Borg I was afraid to confront you and allowed Lilly to do it in my place." She laughed, "I really wanted to charge into your Ready Room and tell you that you were being an ass, but I didn't."

"This was the outcome I was afraid would happen when I told you after Kess-Prytt that we should be afraid. That we would loose our friendship, become distant from each other, but because of my fear of getting closer to you, I ended up nearly loosing what we had anyway."

He placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his embrace.

She placed her head on his chest as his chin came to rest on top of her head. She wrapped her arms tightly around his body. He sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said, softly.

Her body began to shake against his as she cried softly into his chest, as he softly rubbed small comforting circles on her back. After a few minutes, she began to calm and he loosened his hold to allow her to sit up. As she did, she gave him a water smile but did not move from his embrace. "I have missed you so much."

He handed her a napkin from the table which she used to gently rub her face and eyes of tears as he spoke, "I've missed you too and I understand. I truly am sorry… for everything."

"I know… me too," she sighed. "Friends?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He stood and offered his hand. "Come, I'll walk you home."

She nodded and took the offered hand.

They had taken their time and continued to talk and reminisce as they made their way to the housing complex near Starfleet medical. '_This evening is ending way too quickly for me,'_ Beverly thought as they approached the door for her quarters. When they stood just out of sensor range, she turned to her best friend and with a smile spoke, "Thank you for the dinner and the cry."

"You are very welcome," he said with a smile of his own. "I enjoyed spending time with you, even to let you cry on my shoulder."

They stood for a few minutes, simply staring at each other - the tension growing thick. '_I'm not afraid anymore,' _she thought as she gazed at him. She did not want the night to end as it always did, but she was not sure if they were quite ready to blur the line between friends and lovers. It could ruin their friendship all over again after finally patching things up.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight? I know you need to get back to the ship and I have an early shift at Medical."

He didn't say anything and she sighed inwardly. '_I suppose we are going back to our old routine.' _

"Goodnight, Jean-Luc," she said as she placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned in to give him chaste kiss on the cheek. His and her eyes both closed at the contact.

As she started to pull back, she felt his arms encircle her waist as he pulled her back to him. The suddenness of the move surprised her and she placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. He moved his right hand to cradle her face and lightly stroked her cheek. His hazel eyes, turned dark with desire, gazed into her deep blue as he leaned forward. The move sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine and she felt, more then heard him when he whispered, "I want more then a peck on the cheek, Beverly."

Her breath caught in her throat as his lips claimed hers in a heat filled kiss. When the arm around her waist pulled her flush against him, she gasped and he deepened the kiss. Her arms moved to wrap around his neck as their tongues battled for dominance. He slowly backed her to the door of her quarters, which opened with a soft hiss as they entered the sensor's range. Their mouths never loosing contact as he moved her slowly back into her moonlit quarters. The door closed softly behind them.

As if he sensed her need to catch her breath, Jean-Luc finally ended the kiss, and rested his forehead on hers. "Beverly…" he whispered, "I don't want to push you into something you're not rea…"

Her eyes sparkled with desire as she smiled tenderly, and their eyes met, "I don't think we should be afraid anymore, Jean-Luc."

His slow, shuddering breathe was the only acknowledgement she needed, as she pulled him towards her bedroom, until she felt the edge of the bed behind her. Her gaze moved to his lips and she pulled him in for another lengthy kiss filled with years of denied and repressed desire.

His hands slowly moved down her body and came to rest on the swell of her hips as he returned her kiss and made it his own his own. He slowly broke the kiss, trailing down her neck with open mouth kisses and slowly lowered them to the bed.

She tilted her head to the side to allow him more access to her neck as her back pressed into the bed. '_Way too much clothing…' _she thought as she tugged up on the hem of his uniform top.

He chuckled against her throat, "Impatient?"

"Yes," she answered breathlessly, the sensation of his voice on her throat caused a tremor to run through her body and directly to her stomach, causing it to tighten with anticipation.

He claimed her mouth again in another breathless kiss before he moved back onto his knees to allow her access to his top. She pulled it quickly over his head, not wishing to waste time with the buttons, and dropped it onto the floor. She moved her hands over his chest and enjoyed the feel of his tight muscles. "Better?" he asked.

She gave him a seductive smile, "Almost." She said and then tugged at the top of his pants.

"Wow, you really are impatient!"

"I don't want to wait anymore, Jean-Luc." She answered as she began to pull his pants down over his hips. "I've been waiting years for this." And with that, their clothes soon lay scattered on the floor as the couple began to explore each other's bodies.

Missing scene

_End Flashback_

She sighed at the memory. His arm draped across her stomach tugged her back against to his chest as he brushed his lips on the nape of her neck. "Good morning," he said, sleepily.

"Good morning," she said as she pulled his arm to rest between her sheet covered breasts and gave a gentle squeeze.

He squeezed her in return and placed a kiss to her neck. "You don't regret what we did last night, do you?"

He loosened his hold as she turned in his embrace. Palm on his cheek, she draped her leg over his under the covers, and looked into his eyes. She kissed him and after a few minutes pulled back and rested her forehead against his and smiled. "No, I was only enjoying the memory."

He smiled and pulled her into another kiss, as they began to explore each other's body again. "How about another one to go with it?" he asked suggestively.

"Please…" she pleaded.

The End

**A little side note:** Over the last several years I've really had a difficult time with my P/C muse. I haven't been able to finish stories longer then drabbles or extremely short vignettes in the last five years. But this one just flowed out and I was really happy that it did too. It took little to no effort and I think the reason may have had something to do with thoughts of walking away from TNG and P/C completely.

Also, most can read in my bio and on my livejournal, I'm currently hot-n-heavy into the InuYasha fandom. I have written two short stories, recently, for challenges issued at a LJ community and I think that helped to unclog my creativeness.

Whatever did the trick, I'm happy it did!

I hope you enjoyed this little fic. (For the unedited version of this story – which features the missing scene - go to my website.) Review if you like.

04-04-06


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